The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-09-18
POPULAR BeNEFACT0RS.
Mllll0Dalres Who Are Famous for
Their 6enerOslty
The Increasing TsndeBeE of Rich
Men 10 devote Their FOriunes
40 the Public Good.
New York coriespoud,n Of tho Globe
Democrat.

New York corfesp,ndincs Of tho Globe
Democrat.
A list Of the benefactions for the
public good that have been pub
lished 10 the leading newspapers
during the past three months show
that within this period alone the peo-
pie have fallen heir to more than
SlO,OOO,OO0. OF course, this is by no
mesDs complete list, for it includes
only tho most noteworthy requests;
and the aggregate Of the many small
benetactions that are made every
month, perhaps every day, to hos
pitfalls and libraries and schools in
smi.ll towns, is very large. But more
than $l0,OO0.0 900 have been given for
the public good in sufficiently large
quantities to be reported in the larger
newspapers. This is, perhaps, the
largest aggregate ever given in the
United States for these purposes in
the same period Of time. Although
the number OF rich men is constantly
increasing, there is evidence also OF
q growing habit OF giving money for
the public benefit-a habit very we'll
worth cultivatipg.
New England takes the lead OF all
the sections OF the country in the
list Of donations, for the very excel
lent reason Hat il has q larger ac-
cumulated capital aud larger pro-
portion OF rich men than apy other
section, and the South comes last, be-
cause it has fewer fortunes. II a
comparison could be made which
shouli show the generosity OF each
section, New Eugland, the Middle
States, the Western States, the South
aud the Pacific slope. there is reason
to believe that one section would
make as good showing as another; ;
Ter the volume Of public requests is
rapidly increasing in them all. In
the list that has been kept OF pub
lished benefactions, few are reported
from the South, but that is because,
as q rule, they are smaller than the
gifts made in other parts Of the coun-
try.
PRISCELY BENEFACTIoSs.
Some Of the benefactions OF prince
ly magnitude are Jonas G.. Clsrk's
gift OF an additional 81 100000 TO
Clark University at Worcester,
Mass. 100000 TO Rochester Uni.
versiiy, $4,000 OF which are TO es-'
tablish q chair OF political science;
$3.50, 900 tor q park and library at
New Britain Conn, by y. Il. Erwin;
the more than usually large dona-
tons TO such old institutions as
Harvard and Yale; an additional
$l75, 900 TO Buchtel College, Akron,
D., by the Hon. John X. Buchiel,
making more than 800, 900 in all I;
Mr.. w. q. DePauw's additional gilt
OF 100000 TO DePauw University;
more than 81 600, 600 given by Enoch
Pratt, OF Baltimore, for q free public
library (though this, like the great
Tilden gilt OF ~ ,00O, 600 for the same
purpose In New York, was given last
year); DIR. Il. ID. Standifords gift OF
100 acres OF land for a park in the
the city Of Louisville; within FIVE
years $1,000, 900 has been given for
art and educational purposes in Gin
cinnati; the munihcent establish
ment by Mrs. Newcomb Of college
for young women at New Orleans I;
and every city as you 20 West has
had its recent benefciaries. When
the Pacific slope was reached the
commanding gitt by Senator Stanford
TO the university that bears his name,
aud Mr.. Sutros great statue OF
Liberty TO be erected In San Frau
cisco equal, II they do not eclipse,
similar gifts anywhere else.
THE BENEFITS INTENDED.
But very small proportion OF
/ evvs this great resent public bene-
factions would include too many to
enumera,c. More interesting than
the number or amount Of them are
certain tendencies that are shown 10
the purposes OF public requests aud
donations. Colleges aud hospitals
aud homes" have, until recently,
had almost 4 monopoly Of the be.
quests Of the rich. But the fashion
is now last changing aud the direc.
tons the change Is taking are indica
tive Of the broadening thought OF
the time. Educational institutions
are still the preferred objects Of
benefactions OF the public good, but
IL is no longer the classical or theo.
logical departments Of colleges that
are selected so largely for endow.
mcnt, nor are educational gifts now
BY any means confined 10 colleges OF
any kind. High schools, polytech.
mic schools, Industrial schools, kin.
dergartens, -eymnasiums, schools OF
agriculture aud social science and
such practical departments Of the
new education" are now selected.
Hospitals aud hotels are yet founded
in great numbers, but now there Is
generally some specific purpose,
which indicates the practical ten
dency OF tie thought Of the times,
shown by the donor.
| And Il il especially noteworthy
that several OF the larses, donations
for the public good that have ever
been made in the United States are
TO establish, not libraries Of the old
kind, but absolutely free Libraries.
| In TACT. such great free library gifts
as those Of Enoch Pratt, Of Balti.
more; Samuel j. Tildcn, OF New
York; Walter l.. Newberry, Of Chi.
cago, lpd hundreds Of similar bu,
smaller donations have 40 turned
POI ular attention 20 the foundation
Of absolutely free lDbraries a. a priv.
ilege and duty OF rich men that q
distinguished educator, observing
this tendency, recently remarked
that Il would soon be a rcproach ior
any town that had q rich citizen mol
TO have fully equipped free library.
10 the list fthe donations published
during the last three months are moi
less than twenty five 10 free public
Libraries, aud they aggregate Chi,
includes none OF the LARGEST gift
given shovel about 81 100000.
PARKS As GIFTS.
knolher aomevhat new dircc,,or